Florence: The best of the rest

To say we had to make do with a whistle-stop tour of Florence because of the hotel issues I mentioned yesterday, I have a lot to say about the capital city of Tuscany! But, there are just a few more places I need to mention before I tell you all about our adventures in Rome.

First up is the Ponte Vecchio, a medieval bridge that spans the River Arno; nowadays it's lined with jewellery shops but back in the day butchers occupied it. Above the bridge is the Vasari Corridor which links the Palazzo Vecchio and the Palazzo Pitti; you'll find even more artwork in there!

Piazzale Michelangelo is the square I mentioned that is near San Miniato al Monte; there's yet another replica of Michelangelo's David in the square.

It was too cloudy when we were at the Piazzale Michelangelo to see a glorious sunset, but you can see the old city walls and another fine view of Florence from here, plus it's on your way back down to the centre if you've been up at San Miniato al Monte.

One place I'd stick on the itinerary if we go back to Florence is the Palazzo Vecchio, situated in Piazza della Signoria. Yet another replica of David(!) guards the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio, and it's apparently a very impressive town hall. I'd visit here instead of the Uffizi Gallery if I could choose again.

In Piazza della Signoria you'll also find the Fountain of Neptune. Beware though, the bars and restaurants in this area are really over-priced so you may want to wander away from this area if you're in need of refreshment. About five minutes away we found Il Cantastorie, which was a nice spot for a pizza or pasta kind of lunch, plus it's opposite Bartolucci which is a cool wooden toy shop.

So, that was Florence: A rubbish hotel, awesome food, lots of artwork, and aching limbs from lots of walking and climbing. As it's very small you can quite easily see everything on foot, but if you do need to grab a taxi it shouldn't cost you any more than €10.

We packed our things, hopped on the train, and headed south to Rome. Our train ticket cost about £16 each, and the journey took less than 90 minutes. Perfetto! I'll see you there. x